Balancing school, fitness, and a healthy diet as a high school student
In the age of modern technology, we all are able to see all of these perfect pink pilates princesses, strong women lifting weights in the gym, and runners preparing for their upcoming marathon, all while maintaining a full time job or going to school full time on social media. It is tempting to want to live that specific lifestyle that society is so encouraging and accepting of. So how do we do it and still remain sane?
First of all, thinking it will be easy is an idea you should immediately evacuate from your brain. It is not easy, and requires a lot of discipline. Whether you are doing it for aesthetics, routine, or general health reasons, consistency is key here. The overall “goal” you should be aiming for is not restricting food or working out obsessively, but rather getting to move your body once a day and eating healthy balanced meals. My recommendation for that? Weekly scheduling and meal planning. Yes, something every single fitness influencer will tell you to do, however, it is very beneficial for a number of reasons. If you get a planner or a calendar, and you plan out your meals, workouts, and week ahead of time, it will already be the first step for you to maintain discipline and still be able to plan out time to have a social life! It is taking the initiative to set up a routine and weekly goals for yourself. Pick a day to meal prep, and cook all your meals for school on that day to be prepared for the coming week. It takes so much pressure off of your shoulders if you are someone who packs their lunch the night before, and saves more time for you to do things like finish or start that other assignment you forgot you had. Now, you can even be more intentional with your evening routine!
Maintaining an active lifestyle is one of the best decisions I have ever made, but it has never been “easy”. If you, like me, are someone who gets extremely shy in the gym, I get it and I see you. If you are shy, try and start off slow with maybe a walk around the block, or get on youtube and look up a beginners yoga video. Just get into the habit of moving your body every day. If you feel like you want to progress, try looking up a pilates video, if you have weights, pay around with a couple of guided weight workouts. Don't immediately throw yourself into a high intensity workout routine right. Another highly recommended fact to keep in mind, is every single month our bodies go through 4 different hormonal cycles that affect how much energy our body has and how we function: menstrual, follicular, ovulatory, and luteal. These 4 phases fluctuate your hormones and energy levels and require different workouts in order to keep your body feeling good throughout the month! If you are feeling extremely tired and burnt out, it is okay to go back to basics: take a 15 minute walk or even take a nap. It is not the end of the world if you feel you cannot get in any activity that day. There should be no intense pressure being placed on yourself if you know you are truly trying your best!
Food is the most amazing and wonderful thing: it does so much good for you and fuels your body in the best way. Maintaining a healthy diet can be difficult, but the best thing to keep in mind no matter what dietary restrictions you are on, is eat what makes your body feel good. Now, that doesn’t necessarily mean eating what makes you happy, like fast food (don’t panic, the occasional In N Out burger, or Taco Bell order is not a bad thing). As I mentioned, there are 4 phases you go through every single month, and in those 4 phases, your body requires different nutrients. Make sure you do sufficient research on what your body needs regarding dietary restrictions, physical health considerations, and what nutrients you need throughout the month.
Fitness is perceived as an all consuming lifestyle with no room for anything else, except intense dietary restrictions and workouts, but that is not the truth. Fitness is meant for you to be moving and working with your body in a way that feels good for you and only you. It won’t be easy in the beginning and you will have a large learning curve to overcome, but being able to have that kind of power, discipline, and energy that comes from the “fitness lifestyle” is one of the most rewarding feelings in the world. Remember to have fun with it, and it is not the end of the world if you skip a couple of days or slack off. As long as you keep up the consistency, you will be even more unstoppable than you already are. Can’t wait to see you all thrive and grow into even more beautiful people.